Most recently, the Affordable Health Care Act roll out has been a disaster with computer glitches and implementation extensions. His now infamous quote that, “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it” was named the 2013 “Lie of the Year” as Americans found their health care plans cancelled under ObamaCare. Republicans are emphasizing this lie while Obama’s current approval rating is the ugliest since Richard Nixon.

Fortunately for the president, he still has time to turn his second term around. However, given his low approval rating, many Americans fear more of the same from Barack Obama.

It is happening again. In the midst of another government shutdown, Washington faces a new round of budget and fiscal conflicts that could derail our economy.

White House spokesman Jay Carney recently said that the president “believes Congress will do the right thing” and vote to end the partial government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling by the Oct. 17 deadline. However, as the shutdown continues, both political parties must work together to find the only viable long-term solution in reducing the deficit.

As The Washington Times recently noted, “President Obama likes to say that raising the nation’s borrowing limit ‘won’t add a dime’ to the federal debt, but he neglects to mention that the government already has borrowed the equivalent of more than 60 trillion dimes since he took office.” Indeed, since President Barack Obama took office in January of 2009, the national debt has increased by $6 trillion.

As our total national deficit approaches $17 trillion or over $147,000 per taxpayer, President Obama must seek permanent solutions other than yet another increase to the debt ceiling. It is time for the president to bring real reform to entitlements like Social Security and Medicaid. Given his falling approval rating, reducing the deficit is what America both wants and needs.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently said he hoped Republican opposition to President Obama was not based on his race. Specifically, while answering a caller’s question during a radio interview, Harry Reid stated that he hoped GOP opposition to the administration’s legislative agenda was “based on substance and not the fact that he’s African-American.”

The offensive comments were immediately met with sharp opposition with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the only African-American member of the Senate, calling the statements a “smokescreen” and claiming that Harry Reid was seeking to divide Americans.

Such reckless and baseless statements also undermine the credibility of claims that others may make who are actually facing genuine race-based discrimination. Given his apology for making racially insensitive remarks about Barack Obama during the presidential campaign, Harry Reid should have chosen his words more carefully before attacking others for their alleged speculative racism.

According to a recent report by the Bureau of Public Debt at the Treasury Department, since President Barack Obama took office in January of 2009, the national debt has increased by $6 trillion. To be exact, the total public debt of the U.S. government has topped $16,687,289,180,215.37 as we enter the second term of our current president. According to the U.S. Debt Clock, the current U.S. national debt debt now amounts to over $147,000 per taxpayer.

The debt increase under President Obama has even surpassed that of his predecessor, George W. Bush, who increased the deficit by $4.9 trillion during his 8-year term. It is an historic achievement for President Obama, as CBS notes, because there are still several years remaining in his second term.

Given President Obama’s broken promise that by the end of his first term, he would cut in half the federal deficit he had inherited, he now has a chance to redeem himself in his second term. It is time for the president to bring real reform to entitlements like Social Security and Medicaid. For the sake of all Americans, he needs to make good on his promises.

The U.S. defense budget is over 740 billion dollars, by far and away the largest in the world. China spends the second most on defense, at 380 billion dollars.

If the U.S. cut its defense budget by 10%, it would save 74 billion dollars a year, and it would still outspend China by over 285 billion dollars. If the U.S. cut its defense budget by 20%, it would save nearly 150 billion dollars a year, and it would still outspend China by more than 200 billion dollars.

Any budget proposal that does not cut into the military budget is not a serious proposal for reducing the country’s budget deficit.

The list of my favorite things includes state and national parks. They are treasures for all. The vistas and views that renew the spirit that parks offer are available to everyone, regardless of social status or income.

Dealing with the budget deficits requires making difficult choices. Like the proposal to close the downtown library on Sunday, the proposal to close some state parks – and the reduction of services at others – is a difficult pill to swallow. The good news is that the closings are most likely temporary. There is no talk about selling state land to developers. For that I am grateful.

Change is a certainty in life. Hopefully it will not be too long before the economic good times return and the affected parks can be reopened.

It looks like the proposal to furlough state workers is going to become a reality. I have written a number of blogs attempting to point out that most of the workers who will be affected are simply working class and middle class people trying to make ends meet. My opinion engenders a lot of anger from – I would guess – middle class and working class people who happen to be employed in the private sector. The editorials in the Democrat and Chronicle have fueled this misplaced envy.

My career as a public employee required a Masters degree. What I achieved has been dismissed by people who have no idea what I accomplished in thirty-three years as an art teacher. I have been asked when I am going to give up 20% of my retirement pay. For the record, I will do that when all the politicians in New York from Paterson on down reduce their own pay and benefits, and those of their office and staff, by 20%. I will do it when the publisher and editors of the Democrat and Chronicle, who have repeatedly called for state workers to make sacrifices, donate 20% of their income or retirement to New York State to reduce the deficit. I will do it when every single private sector worker and retiree in this state do likewise.

Look at the faces of the CSEA workers in today’s paper. Do these people look like they are rich? Do they look pampered and overpaid? They are not any of these things. These are people who are now facing a 20% cut in their pay. That would be huge for any of us. What does everyone think is going to happen to the economy in New York when these public workers can no longer afford to buy NY goods? It saddens me that they have become the scapegoats for the whole state.

A recent blog by Patrick Burke made the point that it is envy, not greed, that has created so many problems in our economy. I agree. I see it over and over when angry, envious editorials and blogs that blame and castigate public workers.

Of the myriad reasons being touted as reasons for the Financial meltdown, the one that takes the cake for “original” thinking is “It is Bill Clinton’s fault”. Not surprising though it is one of the more popular ones amongst the Right.

8 years ….8 years of Bush rule with 6 years of a Republican Congress not enough to clean out the “mess” purportedly left by Clinton? Hercules cleaned out the Augean Stables in lesser time !!

Well, it was enough time to wipe out a Budget surplus and turn it into a whopping DEFICIT with a CRISIS to top it off.

If Clinton gets all the blame for all the ills in the Bush era, should he and the Democratic Congress (of last 2 years) not get credit for keeping the homeland safe from terrorist attack for the last 8 years ? Any Republican willing to agree to that ?

Who will McCain blame if he gets elected for the mess he inherits ? Will it still be Clinton?

Looks like 2 big chapters (Bush 42 and Bush 43) have suddenly gone missing from the Republican History books.

Editorial Board

has, for the past 18 years as Editorial Page editor, been responsible for producing more than 5,100 daily Editorial and Speaking Out pages. He started his journalism career in Cleveland shortly after graduating from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Along the way, he has had career stops in Denver, Orlando, Fla., and White Plains. But unquestionably, he says, some of his most rewarding years as a journalist have been here in Rochester, being a part of positive change. That change has included reforms that followed an aggressive "Challenging Albany" campaign, greater public awareness and pushback against the coarsening of our culture, and strides being made to make this region a destination community.

I joined the Democrat and Chronicle in December 2011 as digital opinion editor, a position that combines traditional editorial responsibilities with the fostering and promotion of online conversation across a number of digital platforms and social media.

I bring to the position some 25 years of media experience in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, having served as managing editor at Messenger Post Media, where I wrote columns, editorials and blogs, among an array of other newsroom duties.

I'm a lifelong New Yorker who has called Long Island, the North Country and, now, western New York home.

When I'm not in a newsroom or in front of a computer, I'm usually enjoying time with family or lost in a book.

became editor of community partnerships and niche content in November 2011, a position new to the Democrat and Chronicle. She is charged with increasing community engagement across all platforms, web and print. Sutter also has served as deputy editorial page editor, managing editor and general manager/custom content at the Democrat and Chronicle. She has worked as a reporter or editor for newspapers in Iowa, Illinois, Florida, South Carolina and Elmira, where she was executive editor of the Star-Gazette. She holds a master's degree in media management and a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

I have been with the Democrat and Chronicle since 2006, when I was hired as letters editor. In 2008, I shifted into the role of community conversation coordinator. Most of my time on the job is spent reading and editing the thousands of letters to the editor we receive each year. I love learning about a wide variety of subjects every day while fact-checking letters. Aside from editing the letters, I also monitor reader comments posted on our website, and write editorials, blog posts and tweets.

I am a lifelong reader of the D&C, so I’m particularly honored to lend my voice to the Editorial Board. As a registered conservative and strong advocate of free market economics, it is likely that I will bring an alternate view to the discussion, so I applaud the D&C for asking me aboard.

My passion about economics and politics first emanated from our family dinner-table discussions growing up in Brighton, where no topic was off limits. After graduating from Brighton High School and then from Middlebury College as an economics major, I started my career with Case Hoyt, a once nationally recognized printing company based in Rochester. I relocated to Philadelphia, Washington and then Boston to attend Harvard Business School before happily moving back home just as my wife and I were starting a family.

I have actively engaged in various volunteer leadership roles at the Wilmot Cancer, St. Thomas More Church and now Rochester Prep Charter School and the Kilian Schmitt Foundation.

Personally, my wife, Caroline, and I have three grown children who have all left the area for college as well as to start their work careers.

I have lived in Rochester, both in the city and the suburbs, for most of my life. I have a degree from Roberts Wesleyan College in religion and philosophy, and I currently work for the Volunteers of America as a case manager for families who receive the Shelter Plus Care housing grant.

I live in the town of Chili with my husband and my sons, Gavin and Troy. Spending time with them is my favorite thing to do. My husband, Scott, owns a small sales and marketing company.

I love Rochester and am actively involved in the community. I serve on several boards and committees, including the Chili Parks and Recreation Committee. Recently I accepted the role of president of the Monroe County Republican Women (a non party-funded organization). Lastly, I am the director of The Bridge, a developing nonprofit that promotes sustainable homeless outreach efforts and organizes bipartisan discussions on issues related to poverty.

I am passionate about seeking out lasting solutions to poverty and bridging the political and cultural gaps. Find me on Twitter (@annaiseman), Facebook, or in future D&C discussions.

Board of Contributors

I manage an educational project for RIT, and teach as an adjunct professor at Nazareth College and the Warner School of Education. In an earlier life, I directed a modern dance company and worked as a teaching artist in schools. I hold a PhD in education with a focus on arts, curriculum and teaching. My areas of interest are education, politics and the arts. I plan to share perspectives on the current changes taking place in the field of education, and have a special interest in political art. I hope to stimulate good discussions in these areas through blogging and guest interviews.

My name is Makenzie Marino and I'm a 16-year-old junior at Our Lady of Mercy High School. I've been writing since I was 7. Writing is my passion; it's the way I express myself and my creativity. As a member of the board I hope to educate people in Rochester on events going on in our area and also bring to people's attention topics that maybe they'd look over otherwise. Also, I hope to learn things myself and be educated by other board members, and by visitors that will be showing up to the meetings. I hope to bring forth positive energy and educate people around me.

I was born and raised in central New York. I earned a bachelor's degree from SUNY Brockport, and now gladly call the Flower City home. I’m a married mother of three young children who keep me on my toes. I write a Blog, From Playgrounds to Politics, which often focuses on hot-button topics as well as about parenting, education, current events, political punditry and entertainment news. I have blogged for the Democrat and Chronicle for several years, focusing local issues and public schools. Follow me on Twitter @Mango1531. As a Board of Contributors member, I hope to write in no-holds-barred style about social topics within our community.

I’m a transplanted New Englander, who has resided with my family in Rochester’s 19th Ward for over 20 years. I left a career in book publishing when I moved from the Boston area, and then got my master’s in education at Nazareth College. I have taught in local schools and am currently an adjunct teacher at The Strong’s National Museum of Play. I write fiction and memoir, volunteer in my neighborhood library, love to travel, coordinate an Exploring Post in health careers, and am a staunch advocate for children.

I retired as Rochester’s commissioner of Community Development in 2009. I’m the co-founder of Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School and serve as the volunteer CEO/chairman of the board. I also serve on five other boards. I was president and CEO of Ibero-American action League from 1993 to 2006. From 1987 to 1990, I owned and operated a Super Duper in the city, and worked briefly as a Spanish teacher. I have a bachelor of science degree in social service administration from SUNY Empire State College and a master’s degree in education from The College at Brockport. I am the author of “Journey of Puerto Rican Jíbaro,” a memoir.

As a life-long resident of Rochester, I am honored and humbled to be selected for the Board of Contributors. It is my hope that through this forum, I will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue that will uplift, inspire and challenge others to contribute to the economic, social, emotional/mental and spiritual health needs of Monroe County’s neediest residents. It is disheartening to me that Rochester is one of the poorest cities in this nation. We all have a part in this universe to offer a hand up and not a hand out. I’m married to my high school sweetheart and we are blessed to share three awesome children.

I work as a shipping and receiving clerk in Rochester. I look forward to being on the Board of Contributors and taking part in discussions of issues facing Rochester in 2014. I intend to add a pragmatic, moderate voice and concentrate on solutions and successes. Beyond the liberal/conservative gridlock there are pragmatic solutions upon which a majority can agree. The moderate majority is not as vocal as extremists to the left and right and this makes moderates easy to ignore. I look forward to being part of the Democrat and Chronicle's effort to contribute to the quality of life in this community.

I grew up in the Rochester area, attended PS35, graduated from Brighton High School, then attended SUNY College at Geneseo and the University of Chicago and earned his PhD at Northwestern University. A lifelong educator, child advocate and bestselling author of books and articles on leadership, collaboration, and education reform, I’ve been a middle school teacher, high school coach, school board member, college professor, dean of education at four universities, distinguished visiting scholar, community-based and regional nonprofit executive, education advisor to Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and associate superintendent of education for the State of Ohio. I currently am vice president for community programs at the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

As an active Community Member on the Democrat and Chronicle Editorial Board in 2013, and a division sales manager of a consumer company prior to that, I hope to stay involved with current events on the Board of Contributors, weighing in with my unique perspective on issues and headlines in 2014. A former United States Marine Corps Officer, and current retired "East Side Suburbanite," I feel that my "conservative-leaning" voice represents a part of the community that deserves to be heard.

I am a lay associate pastor at Spiritus Christi Church and a nurse of 28 years. In my role as associate pastor, I lead racial justice work, welcome new members and facilitate diversity within our ministeries. I am looking forward to being a board contributor so that I might engage in the conversations and topics this community most cares about to forge unity. It is my hope that, together, we join our visions and perspectives to examine what is, and lean in to shape ultimately what could be. If we do that I am hopeful that we will embody the "One City" Rochester mantra we all envision.

I am a third-year journalism and political science student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Being a native of Rochester has carved within me a passion for urban life and a desire to fully understand the complexity of the many issues Rochesterians face. I care most about education, youth, race and poverty, and have blogged for the Democrat and Chronicle’s Unite Rochester initiative. I am very excited to be offering my voice through the Board of Contributors and I hope to spark some great conversations with the rest of my community.